Lake Conroe fishing report

Larry J. LeBlanc, Courier Outdoors Writer

Published 8:30 am, Thursday, July 7, 2011

The fishing on Lake Conroe is fair and has settled down into its summer pattern. The water temperature is around the 88-degree mark in the early morning in the main lake and will warm up into the low 90s as the day heats up; the water will heat up faster in the shallower back coves. It is clear and the level of the lake is a little more than three feet below pool at 197.84 feet. Pool is 201 feet above sea level.

Black bass fishing is still fair to good. Guide Carl Bostic reports that bass are at 10 to 15 feet early and some are on brush piles and other structure. Deep running crankbaits in baby bass or Tennessee shad colors are good. Wacky worms are good around deep docks.

Crappie fishing is slow. Most are being caught on deep brush or around the FM 1097 bridge pylons at a depth of 25 to 30 feet of water. Jigs or minnows are working well.

Catfish have slowed on baited holes and Bostic said you can expect 10 to 15 small fish for every good keeper. He said liver or worms are working well at this time.

Hybrids are over deep hump points and the best bait is live shad on live shad. Bostic said to find them on your depth finder and then drop live shad on them.

The main problem fishermen are battling now is the low shad count. That is due to the lack of vegetation in the lake, which has seriously affected the shad population. Shad is the major food source for the game fish in the lake and their habitat has been destroyed by the overpopulation of carp dumped into the lake.

Good-size bream are coming on strong. Bostic said meal worms or glow worms are both good bream bait. He said any structure or brush pile will produce large, hand-size bream.

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The information for this fishing report has been made available by fishing guide Carl Bostic, who works out of April Plaza Marina. For information about his services, visit wethook.com or call 936-718-7983 or 936-588-1118.